Attachment for well drilling apparatus



April '10, 1928. 1,665,547

. C. E. HAZEL ET AL ATTACHMENT FOR WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Fil'ed July 29. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 10, 1928. 1,665,547

C. E. HAZEL ET AL ATTACHMENT FOR WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Filed July 29. 1926 2 Sheets-Shoat 2 Qwmwntoa;

Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

2 UNITED STATES 1,665,547 PATENT OFFICE CLAYTON E. HAZEL AND HARRIS C. MONTGOMERY, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI; MID

MONTGOMERY ASSIGNOR TO SAID HAZEL.

ecr'rscnmnnr r012; WELL-DRILLING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 29, 1926. Serial mi. 125,803.

This invention relates to attachments for well drilling apparatus, and more particularly to shock absorbing means for such an apparatus.

It is the present practice to emplo manila rope in connection with various iorms of drilling apparatus, and such rope has a substantial degree of elasticity whereby it possesses shock absorbing qualities. The cost of such rope, however, has so materially increased that efforts have been made to substitute wire rope or cable therefor. Such a rope or cable is not longitudinally elastic and it has been found that the sudden strains and jars to which it is subjected cause the metal to crystallize and break.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide shock absorbing means for well drilling ap aratus to materially reduce the strains to W ich the ropes are sub jected, thus permitting the use of wire ropes, cables or the like. a

A further object is to provide a cylinder or the like in which a rubber or similar bumper is arranged, and to support an operating sheave upon a plunger adapted to be supported by the rubber whereby sudden strains transmitted to the sheave by the rope is adapted to compress the rubber and thus absorb or minimize the shocks.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings we have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this show Figure. 1 is a front elevation of a drilling mast showing the invention applied,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, parts being broken away,

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the upper portion of the mast,

Figure 4 is a detail section on line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a similar View on line 5---5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view of the cylinder and associated elements, parts being shown in elevation,

Figure 7 is a detail section on line 7-7 of Figure 6, and,

Figure 8 is a detail perspective of a por tion of the plunger and associated elements.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 designates a drilling mast as a whole including inclined side members 11 connected at their upper ends by a cross piece 12. A sheave 13 is rotatable in the upper portion of the mast, and the usual cable or rope passes over this sheave. Suitable bracing members 14 are connected between the upright members of the mast, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. i

A cylinder 15 is arranged between the upright members of the mast and is preferably provided at its lower end with a flange 16 secured to a cross piece 17 connected between the upright members 11. Diagonal braces 18 may be employed to' assist in properly supporting the cross piece 17 The sheave 13 is supported by a shaft 19 which is journalled in a frame 20. This frame includes vertical side members 21 connected at their upper ends by a cross piece 22. The side members 21 are adapted to vertically reciprocate between guide plates 23 secured to the upright members 11, as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4.

A plunger 24 is arranged beneath the frame 20, and the plunger is provided at its upper end with an enlarged head 25 fitting between the lower ends of the side members 21. Bolts 26 are adapted to secure the lower ends of the frame 20 to the head 25 as shown in Figure 8. The lower end of the plunger may be provided with enlargements 27 adapted to reciprocate vertically within the cylinder 15. A plurality of compressible members 28, preferably formed of a suitable grade of rubber, are arranged within the cylinder 15, and are supported by the bottom thereof. As shown in Figure 6, the lower end of the plunger is supported upon the uppermost rubber block.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The cable passing over the sheave 13 is operated in the usual manner. strains transmitted to the rope usually are absorbed by the rope itself when manila rope is employed, but when it is desired to employ steel cable or the like, due to the greater economy of its use, the rope cannot absorb the shocks to which it is subjected. With the present apparatus, a sudden pulling on one end of the cable transmits a downward movement to the sheave 13, thus causing the latter to move the frame 20 and plunger 2 1 downwardly to compress the rubber blocks 28. Thus it will. be apparent that the shock is efltectually absorbed or minimized and Sudden .the plungerQa toserve as guides therefor to minimize any flexing of the plunger intermediate its ends.

While we have described the apparatus as being particularly useful in connection with drilling masts, it will be apparent that the structure may be employed in connection withother forms'of drilling apparatus such .as beam rig-sand the like. V

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be. taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention'or the scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a drilling mast including'a pair of uprights, of guide plates carried by said uprights adjacent the upper ends thereof, a frame vertically movable in said guide plates, 0. sheave carried by said frame, a plunger secured at its upper end to said frame, a' cylinder supported by said mast, a plurality of rubber cushion blocks arranged in said cylinder, the lower end of said plunger being arranged to reciprocate in said cylinder and being supported by said blocks.

2. The combination with a drilling mast including a pair of uprights, of guide plates carried by said uprights adjacent the upper ends thereof, a frame including a pair of side members vertically movable in said guide plates, :1 sheave arranged between the side members of said frame, a plunger se' cured at its upper end between the sidemembers of said frame, a stationary cylinder in which the lower end of said plunger is adapted to reciprocate, a plurality of rubber blocks arranged in said cylinder and sup porting said plunger, and a. plurality of braces connected between the uprights of the drilling mast and adapted to act as guides for said plunger.

In testimony whereof we atlix our signatures.

CLAYTON E. HAZEL. HARRIS C. MONTGOMERY. 

